Things didn't quite go as scripted when
LSU began the new basketball season at Massachusetts on Tuesday. In fact, that
script was more or less file 13-worthy after 10 seconds when Jarell Martin's
much anticipated opening day ended with an ankle injury.

But the Tigers adjusted, played well in
a lot of spots and went to the final few minutes with a chance to win a road
game against a talented and veteran opponent. Bottom line: There were a lot
more positive building blocks than steps backward in a 92-90 loss.

1. How much of an impact did losing
Martin have on the Tigers?
A ton, at least at first, because the four other starters had worked with him
on the floor extensively. And because he is such a dynamic player, there were
offensive sets built around him and methods of attacking a defense predicated
on him being able to force the defense into uncomfortable situations. Once he
went out and Shavon Coleman entered, there was an adjustment period as a
somewhat unfamiliar combination of players got acclimated to how to play
together. Offensive spacing was off and there was some uncertainty as players
hunted for shots without Martin as an outlet - the Tigers missed 10 of their
first 11 floor shots. To exacerbate matters, Coleman and then Malik Morgan both
got into foul trouble. Fortunately for LSU, sophomore Shane Hammink delivered a
solid first-half performance to help the Tigers manage the first 20 minutes.

2. Which backcourt combo seemed to click
best?
LSU coach Johnny Jones continues to sing the praises of freshman point guard
Tim Quarterman, who wound up with 5 points and 3 points in 18 minutes, with no
turnovers. But he also recorded only one assist and launched two ill-advised
shots late in the game. The tried-and-true combination of Andre Stringer and
Anthony Hickey was back in a groove most of the day, as those two scored 22 and
16 points, respectively and knocked down six of the seven 3-pointers the Tigers
finished with. Hickey also dished out 7 assists and was a demon on defense,
particularly late when LSU switched to a press and forced a wave of turnovers
that fueled a comeback. Quarterman has a vital role on this team, and showed
his versatility by playing some 2-guard and even small forward when teammates
got into foul trouble. But the Tigers just seem to work better when Hickey is
on the floor.

3. What will the new non-contact foul
rules do to how LSU plays defense?

For the first 20 minutes, it was a maddening experiment as the Tigers
were called for one foul after another - 20 in the first 20 minutes. It made
for a herky-jerky game and allowed UMass to 19 of 49 points from the stripe.
Jones changed things up at halftime and brought the Tigers out in a 2-3 zone
for a handful of possessions, and while that didn't prove to be overly
effective - the Minutemen uncorked a 9-2 run to swell their lead to 58-47 - it did
seem to at least give LSU's players a chance to adapt to how the game was being
called. There were only nine fouls on the Tigers in the final 20 minutes, although
one phantom whistle on Johnny O'Bryant forced him to the bench for 8-plus
minutes. The good news was that LSU remained aggressive, but adapted and the
changing defenses are a promising sign of how Jones wants his team to evolve
and be able to move seamlessly among different schemes.

GAME BALLS

Johnny O'Bryant (25 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks) | When he was on the court, nobody in
gray-and-maroon jersey stood a chance to stop the 6-foot-9, 256-pound junior.
He showed a wider array of interior moves than he ever flashed last season and
was also much more effective on defense than the four fouls he was strapped
with indicated.

Andre StringerLSUSports.net

Andre Stringer (22 points, 3-for-7 3-pt. FG, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2
steals): The notion of
Stringer being the glue that holds this team together got a huge shot in the
arm with his season debut. Whenever LSU needed a shot or seemed wobbly and
vulnerable for a knockout blow, Stringer came through with a 3-pointer or drive
or ... something.

Jordan Mickey (14 points, 10 rebounds, 5
blocks | As noted
above, the loss of Martin was much easier to absorb because Mickey stepped in
and filled the void on both ends of the floor. Defensively that wasn't a
surprise at all, but on the offensive end, the 6-7 rookie showed a nice skill
set around the basket - a huge sign that O'Bryant will have plenty of help in
the paint when needed.

NEWS, NOTES & QUOTES

The News

Jones said Thursday that freshman Darcy Malone sat out the UMass game after
taking a shot to his face at a practice Sunday that required several stitches.
Malone was in uniform, but the 7-foot Australian never entered the game. Freshman
walk-on Brandon Eddlestone did log a minute at the end of the first half after
O'Bryant was called for his third foul.

LSU point guard Anthony Hickey came off the bench to contribute 16 points and a career-high 7 assists against UMass.Mark Murray | MassLive.com

"He got hit in practice
that required some stitches, and it was going to have to be an emergency
situation to have to put him in," Jones said. "The first game of the season, I
didn't think that there could be anything of emergency to put him in a
situation that could cause further harm or damage to his injury. We sat him
that game and he'll be ready for us this weekend. We were more on the cautious
side because of doctor's recommendations."

The Notes

Stringer
buried 3 or more 3-pointers in a game for the 27th time in his
80-game career. He connected on 3 or more 11 times last season.

Hickey matched his career-high with 7 assists, the fifth time in his
career with as many helpers in a game. He also came up with 3 or more steals
for the 29th time.

LSU recorded 19 assists on 34 made shots against UMass. Last season the
Tigers had only three games with at least that many assists.

The Quotes

"He blocked shots, stayed the course, did a lot of great things out there."

-- ANDRE STRINGER on
Jordan Mickey's college debut

"We had a chance to make some plays and
we didn't. Those are things we have to learn from a game like this."

-- JOHNNY JONES on
the Tigers' second-half rally

"That
was fun. It was a good college basketball game. I think our team played well
and they showed that we were a little more mature than we've been in years past
when teams make a run at us. We kind of kept at it and kept fighting."

28 made, 25 attempted
One of the more popular coaching equations is the notion of making more free
throws than the opponent attempts over the course of a season. Well, the Tigers
were on the short end of that stick in the opener. UMass made 28 foul shots (in
40 attempts), while LSU went to the stripe only 25 times.